Great article. I agree that part of the problem may be due
to the bees feeding from a single food source. Over time that may be
what has weakened them so that they fall prey to the mites and the
nosema. Pesticides have not helped.

It would be interesting to see how the loses differ between the bees
that are moved from crop to crop compare to bees that stay in one place
and have access to a varied food source.

Honey bees are the most efficient of the pollinators. If we do not
reverse this problem, we will be looking at a lot more hand pollination.
That will really increase the cost of food.

I do not think bees want to be gypsies and trucked around.
What about exposures to vehicle fumes in route and on location. I ran
into a farmer once. His fields were leased to someone who planted
clover. Hives were brought in half mile from his seed warehouse, and
what did he do, although he had nothing to do with the bees or the
clover? He ran water into puddles so they could drink because there was
no other water for miles and no one else thought to provide them water.
When I was there, they were swarming the edges of the drinking puddles
he created for them.

Maybe they weren't brought up right, don't want to work, don't like
the regimented lifestyle, and fly off to "bee free".